I want to do a shout-out post to some special people I think deserve shout-outs. This list is not complete – and I think all of you deserve one – but these are some of the people who’ve been on my mind. I love you guys!


Kelsey Shearron for being so gorgeous and sweet – I wish you could come to Siegel.

Lauren Walker because you put up with me and I put up with you and therefore we make great friends. Call me sometime soon.

Stephanie Levine for also being so gorgeous – my own little Paris Hilton.

Jesse Cannady for being a GOOD friend – one of the BEST I know – because frankly, you rock.

Elizabeth and Mona and Carly because I promise we will have a McFadden reunion soon!

Cole Garrett because we finally get to hang out – I think we’ve being trying to do so since about July.

Krissy Nollner for being so AMAZING that I smile every time I see you!!

Laura Stoltz and Kathryn-Claire Watts because you looked so beautiful last night – congrats on homecoming court!!

Mady Robertson for being so super - I think we need to hang out pretty soon.

Rachael Robertson for being pretty amazing….I love standing next to you for the first minute or two in Ray Charles!

Liz Grey because you make early day fun and because I fully support your plans….


And about a million other people. What would I do without y’all?

Today I did stuff.

I don't understand anything....

Things are up and down.

I'm confused.

But there's nothing new there...

I'm still happy.

But certain, specific things are making me very upset.

Mostly family stuff. Tied in with school stuff.

But my friends are amazing.

I love you guys.

And God is amazing - without His grace, I don't know where I'd be.

But I'm still kind of struggling.

I don't know.

This time of year is hard.

I would appriciate encouragement.

We're coming home early. Because we've done it all, seen it all in Chicago - and because it is unreasonably cold here.

My sister got in trouble for playing with a $15,000 fur coat at Marshall Fields - and we've introduced my parents to the iPod - and my sleep is messed up bcecause my brother breathes loudly at night and keeps me awake - and we ate at the most amazing place called Ed Debevic's where the waiters yell at you and insult you ("We have more important things to do than bring you an iced tea, lady!") - and we rode the El, which is the Chicago equivalent to the subway, except it's elevated - hence the name - and I saw the place where I was born (did you know I was a Chicago baby?) - and overall it was a very nice trip. I'll see you all tomorrow!

Christina

It's pretty nice. A lot like New York, only smaller and less diverse and with fewer "I

Today was pretty nice. This week has been unfortunatly stressful - far too many after school activities for my taste - but I love my friends and I have had enjoyable, if somewhat tiring, days.

However -
I wish I was as talented as the other girls in Chamber Choir.
I feel like I'm in there by default - because I was stage manager for Aida.
But I'm not that good.
Not at all.

Today I ate five large cookies for lunch, and nothing else.
I think they must have had happy powder in them.
Callie is amazing!
Then I checked out early - to avoid a math test - you know how it is.



And I'm in love with like 38 different people.
Rachel Swift definitely. Kelsey Young for sure.
And about...36 others.



So wish me luck on the surgery I'm having at 3:45 - which will be my very final one!!! Oh golly. I'm pretty excited.



Christina

The first trees are changing, the first leaves are falling...

It's beautiful.



God is so good to me.

- Opening Credits: “Lonesome When You Go” by Madeleine Peyroux
- Waking-Up scene: “I’m Smelling Coffee” by Chris Rice
- Average Day scene: “Running Just to Catch Myself” by Mark Schultz
- Falling In Love scene: “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” by Elvis Presley
- Love Scene: “These Words” by Natasha Bedingfield
- Fight With a Friend scene: “We Are Not as Strong as We Think We Are” by Rich Mullins
- Break-Up/Post Break-Up scene: “Empty Chairs” by Don McLean
- Lonely scene: “Operator” by Jim Croce
- Get Back Together scene: “Cecelia” by Simon and Garfunkel
- Fight scene: “Like Father, Like Son” from AIDA
- Wandering Around Randomly scene:
- Heartbreak scene: “Am I the Only One” by Dixie Chicks
- Mental Breakdown scene: “Twenty-Four” by Switchfoot
- Driving scene: “Country Roads” by John Denver
- Sex scene: “The Night is Still Young” by Billy Joel
- Dream sequence: “Such Greats Heights” by The Postal Service
- Party scene: “Yeah” by Usher
- Happy Dance scene: “Feelin’ Groovy” by Simon and Garfunkel
- Regret scene: “I So Hate Consequences” by Relient K
- Long Night Alone scene: “Hold Me Jesus” by Rich Mullins
- Closing credits: “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from Les Miserables

Ick, today I've been ad blitzing, which is basically my least favorite thing in the entire world to do. It's mentally, physically, and emotionally draining. I only asked five buisnesses to buy ads, but I feel like I want to collapse. I did manage to make one sale - a half page, which is pretty good - and one interested buiness told me to come back Monday, but I did get one really rude rejection. And I hate rejection.

Yesterday was too fun. Wow. My friends and I are so special. We got together to watch a movie...and ended up gathering around the piano to sing broadway show tunes and Christmas carols. Crazy kids.

Anyway, I'm plum tired. And sore, since I had the worst leg cramp of my life last night (I almost passed out!) And hungry. So, in celebration of being slightly more than halfway to my ad deadline, I shall eat a popsicle and take a nap....woooopt.

Later, my taters.

Christina

When it rains, it pours.

Today was....utterly nondescript.

I annoy myself sometimes.

Does anyone else ever have that problem?

I visited Sewanee today.

And I think I may really want to go there.

You have to try this.

It's extremely addictive.

Just click to send the penguin down, then click again to swing.

: )

Okay, so today was kind of annoying.
I was very cold, all day long, and more so than usual.
Brrr.

And some people had some very strange behavior.
Not just one person - a couple people.

I guess it just felt like there was something wrong today.





But I have a voice lesson tonight :),
and maybe tomorrow will be better.

20-14, so smoke on your pipe and stick that in.


But...then I was shocked and horrified upon recieiving the most despicable and sickening news ever...in the name of all that is pure and true, no no no no no no no!!!



So tonight was good and bad. Memorable, to be sure.

But it's past my bedtime.

So goodnight.

*Kiss*

The good, the bad, the ugly, the weird, the exciting, the hopeful, the depressing, the boring, the same old same old stuff...

Sigh.





"So excuse me forgetting but these things I do --
you see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue.
Anyway the thing is what I really mean --
yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen."

The retreat was awesome. Much was learned, much was planned, much was discussed. The food was excellent. I got to spend time with some wonderful people.

Quotes of the weekend:

"I wanna see the blue boats!!"

"Sometimes I cry...but the coffee's worth it."







You just have to take a risk sometimes, you know?? I wish I could read people's minds. Really, really bad.

The Youth Leadership Retreat begins today. I'm not sure what to expect, but I think it will be an excellent two days.

However, I've yet to do any of my mountainous pile of homework, except a little etymology, so I'm going to be extremely stressed Sunday. Nothing I can't handle, though.



Trust. I need to trust. Of all virtues, this I lack. Trusting in God about my future, which always seems hazy and threatens disappointment. I wish I knew what was coming...or no, not what's coming, per se, but I wish I knew for a fact that whatever's coming is good. Trust. I must trust that there is a plan there.


Well I'm out.
Christina

I got a 56 on my Economics credit-by-exam test.
I will not be getting credit,
needless to say.

Babies, babies everywhere
and not a drop to drink.
Who drinks babies? I ask you.

This quote is several days old...but I likes it -

Lindsay: "I'm afraid of getting jumped in the Siegel parking lot..."
Me: "Carrington could take them, she's like a blackbelt."
Stephanie: "I could take them...I'm a ballerina!"



So how about that.
Christina

Days are long.
But short at the same time.
I guess I should say, classes are long.
But the day goes by quickly.

I’m so tired.
That’s what I get.
For waking up at four thirty.

Church is tonight.
I’m on a mission.
Of the journalistic variety.
A hunt.

Now I must go.
It’s been nice.

Christina

photo from Raisin

I

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

II

Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done.

III

I see a lily on thy brow,
With anguish moist and fever-dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.

IV

I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

V

I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.

VI

I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery's song.

VII
She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said -
'I love thee true'.

VIII

She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.

IX

And there she lulled me asleep
And there I dreamed - Ah! woe betide! -
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hill side.

X

I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried - 'La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!'

XI

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side.

XII

And this is why I sojourn here
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

Game tonight!!

We're gonna whip Riverdale.

Uh huh.

You heard me.



o_O



In other news, some people are crazy. But I love it. I'm a little weird too. So what if I like rainbows, and know Barney's rainbow song. And I cry at night for hours when mother tells me to load the dishes. Plus swiss cheese is really good on chicken sandwiches. So leave me alone, psssshyeah. I have my people.


Christina

Hoooooooooly freaking cow, am I having fun doing disco in choir!! Wow. It's amazing.

Would it be just disgusting and wrong if I said I said I think a freshman guy is really cute?? He's like 14 but he's just amazing. I want to hug him. And marry him. But that would be history repeating itself (my mom's two years older than my dad.) And I swore I wouldn't follow in her steps.



Anyway this year just keeps getting better! And the day doesn't seem so long now, like it did Monday and Tuesday, when I almost froze and starved and passed out from exaustion and bain stress in every class. Things are settling down a bit.

Kisses.

Chri etc.

The first full day of school. I think we'll do nothing in my early day and 6th period, serving as bookends to an otherwise insane schedule. And yes, I have Latin homework tonight. There is simply no justice. But Ms. Tinsley claims that homo doctus in se semper divitas habet. So what can you say?

I want some ice cream, please. Ben & Jerry's Half Baked with Chocolate Tornado.

Yessssss......I have Mr. York again for Etymology!! "I'll take up your homework whenever I feel like taking it up...and we'll be eating in here about once a week."




Oh, oh, oh, oh, staying alive, staying alive...

I find it kind of funny that when you take on a massive cleaning project, you usually end up with a bigger mess than you began with. Mon plancher pauvre!

I think a prayer and struggle I've had for a long time is finally being answered and helped. I've really come to possess a much higher level of self-control. I find it much easier to resist temptation. Not just the temptation to sin - though that's a large part of it - but also such temptations as eating poorly and being lazy. This is most welcome, God, thank You.



I have a very weird mind. I'd say I'm half poet, half intellectual, and those two halves don't get along very well. Some days the world is a metaphor and the sky is beautiful and I'm interospective and pensive, and then the next day I'm a cynic trying to understand the complexities of life and being oh so logical and analytical. And I argue with myself and contradict myself and I've still yet to decide which half of me will win.

La vie est belle?

La vie est tragique?

Ou tous les deux?





I think after using all this French I may have to actually learn the language. That or Italian. I'll keep you posted.

Christina